4-July2012 poinsettia propagation update

Here are a few pictures that I took yesterday.  After almost 2 weeks, we are seeing the bottom stem callus and a few actually rooting.  This year's poinsettias look fantastic.  I think part of the reason is that I increased the use of a wetting agent to keep the cuttings hydrated.  We are experiencing 100 plus degree days, but with the added shade, wetting agent, misting duration have had very little problem.  Inside the greenhouses temperatures read mid 80's with 50-60 percent humidity.

6900 poinsettia cuttings

Rooted Cutting

Callused Cutting

Callus

Since the Spring Bedding plant season is winding down, its time to focus on Christmas Poinsettias out in the greenhouses.... This past week, 18-22 - June 2012, we received 5600 unrooted cuttings.  

800 unrooted poinsettias

a bag of 50 unrooted poinsettias

this cutting is only 2 1/2 inches long

1200 cuttings stuck in Oasis wedges.  The white line is a mist line. It runs anywhere from every 4 minutes-at 20 second intervals to every 20 minutes with 6 second intervals

OOPS!, I turned off the water to add more wetting agent to the fertilizer injector.  The water was left off for 3 1/2 hours

This gives you an idea of just how small these cutting s are.  That  Oasis wedge is a little over an inch square

Common after the first few days... Yellow leaves

We spend hours cleaning up the dropped leaves.  Before and....

After the leaves are cleaned up.

New Retail Sales House

Here are a few more images of the Retail Sales House.  It takes quite a bit of effort to move plants out of our greenhouses and over to this area.

Greenhouse happenings @ mioux florist

I have been lax on posting new content this blog and to miouxflorist.blogspot.com, the flower shop blog, for way too long.

As many readers know, we grow and wholesale/retail Easter Lilies and Hydrangeas for the Easter season.  We moved a lot of Easter lilies out between last half March and first week April.

Also, we have added a new outdoor sales area.  The sales area is comprised of shade house and new benches.  On Monday, 23-April-2012, the new parking lot gets installed.  In between the Easter holiday, greenhouse sales and being temporarily short-handed with staff, our shade house opening has been delayed a bit.

Now for some pictures.  Many readers know that I like to post more pictures than copy, so here are a few images from the past month or so....

New Standing Seamed Roof Install at Breese Shop

Work in progress.  The old 12 yo roof failed

Double Impatiens early March

Combination Hanging Baskets 

Alstromeria, great tender hardy plant for our area. It blooms all summer

hydrangeas

Easter Lilies mid March

mr hollywood setting out pansy bowls in new shade house

new shade house - empty

pansy bowls on bench

plants for a STL suburban parks & recreation department waiting  for shipping

Dragon Wing (or is it Angel Wing) Begonias in 18 inch moss lined baskets

another shot of begonias

Combination Baskets growing

Geranium Baskets

Some Retail bedding plants waiting to be moved outside to new sales area

growing seedlings, lilies and other stuff

Seedlings awaiting transplanting

Easter Lilies, this year's crop is a bit uneven.  We have moved the short ones to the warmer end of the house

Visible Buds.  Visible Bud date was 26-Feb-12 this year.

Jim and Jeff filling in some missed transplants from the transplant machine

Impatiens

Transplanter

Outdoor Sales house update

Here are a couple images of the new outdoor sales house.

Shade house progress and greenhouse progress